Generally, a refrigerator includes a machine room in the lower region of a main body. The machine room is generally installed in the lower region of the refrigerator in consideration of the center of gravity of the refrigerator, the efficiency of assembly, and a reduction in vibrations.
The machine room of the refrigerator is provided with a refrigeration cycle device. The refrigeration cycle device maintains the inside of the refrigerator in a refrigerated/freezing state using the property of refrigerant, whereby outside heat is absorbed while changing from a low-pressure liquid phase into a gas phase, thereby allowing the refrigerator to keep food fresh.
The refrigeration cycle device of the refrigerator includes, for example, a compressor, which changes low-temperature and low-pressure gas-phase refrigerant into high-temperature and high-pressure gas-phase refrigerant, a condenser, which changes the high-temperature and high-pressure gas-phase refrigerant from the compressor into low-temperature and high-pressure liquid-phase refrigerant, and an evaporator, which changes the low-temperature and high-pressure liquid-phase refrigerant from the condenser into gas-phase refrigerant, thus absorbing outside heat.
The refrigerator includes a plurality of storage compartments separated from each other, and each storage compartment is maintained at the same temperature based on a single control temperature. In particular, the storage compartment that is intended to serve as a refrigerating compartment is controlled so as to be limited to the range of temperatures that may be provided in the refrigerating compartment, and the storage compartment that is intended to serve as a freezing compartment is controlled so as to be limited to the range of temperatures that may be provided in the freezing compartment.
Therefore, it may be difficult to store different items, which require different storage temperatures, within a single storage compartment having a wide space therein.